Sign advertising apparatus



Sept. 30, 1930. F. 5. SUMMER 1,777,110

SIGN ADVERTISING APPARATUS Fild Aug. 19, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORFran/z jfummr ORNEY Sept. 30, 1930. 5 U M 1,777,110

' SIGN ADVERTISING APPARA'IIUS Filed Aug. 19, 1929 3 SheetsSheet 2 Sept.30, 1930. F. 5. SUMMER 1,777,110

S IGN ADVERT I S ING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 19, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 T yINVENTOR- Fran/r J1] amrzzer VJ TTORNEY Patented Sept. 30, 1930 FRANK S.SUMMER, LONG BEACH, NEW YORK SIGN ADVERTISING APPARATUS Applicationfiled August 19, 1929. Serial No. 386,817.

This invention relates to a sign advertising apparatus and moreparticularly to that type thereof in which a moving belt is employed andconstructed so as to cause an illuminated device, or legend, oradvertising matter, to appear at a predetermined station in the travelof the belt. I am aware that heretofore various forms of moving signshave been employed. In some of these the design or legend has beenformed in the belt and the'belt caused to pass through a frame which isilluminated at the rear of the belt in order to cause the designs orlegends to appear in the frame as the belt passes through the same. Inother forms of this t pe of apparatus the designs or legends have beenformed of designs illuminated by electric lam bulbs the circuit to whichis closed as the elt passes through the frame, thereby illuminatingpredetermined lamps to light the designs or legends as the belt ismoving. In these and in other like types of similar apparatus the signshave been moved in a right line direction and due to the nature of theapparatus in many forms thereof, the advertisements are visible only atnight.

In carrying out the present invention the design, or legend, or text,forming the advertising matter is carried by a moving belt or band andcaused to travel over a' pulley which is illuminated interiorly in orderto project the light through the band to a reflector in which theadvertising matter, irrespective of its nature, is visible and travels 7in a circular path whereby the apparatus is particularly adapted forinterior advertising, or advertising in show windows or other similarplaces, and the reflected advertising matter is visible in the daylightas well as at night.

The invention will be hereinafter more particularly described inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a frontelevation of an apparatus constructed to include the invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation,

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3, Fig. 2, I Fig. etis a perspective viewillustrating a part of the main pulley and reflector associatedtherewith,

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic plan illustrating the electric circuits,

Fig. 6 is a partial sectional elevation illustrating a modification ofthe structure in which the motor is set at the side, and

Fig. 7 is a artial sectional elevation showing another orm of thedevices for reflecting the image from the endless band.

Referring to the drawings it will be seen that in carrying out theinvention I employ aframe or housing which, as illustrated, includes abase 10, a front wall 11, a rear wall or frame 12 and side walls 13 and14. The walls are suitably connected and secured to the base in anydesired manner and preferably the front wall is so mounted as to bereadily removable in order to make it possible for the operator to gainaccess to the interior in which, of course, the operating parts of theapparatus are contained. Furthermore, the housing is preferably providedwith inclined sides, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 in order thereby toincrease the possible length of the endless band or belt as may benecessary or desirable.

Mounted Within the upper portion of the housing I employ a pulley whichfor the purposes of description may be called the main pulley. This mainpulley is mounted on a stub shaft 15 secured in the rear wall 12.Associated with the stub. shaft 15 there are ball bearings 16 and abushing 17 adapted to turn in the usual manner. A hub 18 of the mainpulley is suitably secured on the bushing 17. The bushing, of course, ispreferably made of metal and the hub made of Wood, although thematerials of which'these parts are made is not essential. The mainpulley also includes frame members mounted at the ends of the hub. Oneof these frame members includes a ring 19 and a ring 20, these ringsbeing connected by spokes 21. The outer end of the hub 18 is rabbeted toprovide a shoulder for the reception of the ring 19. The other framemember is similarly constructed and includes an inner ring 22 and anouter ring 23 and suitably spaced spokes 24 connecting these rings. Theinner end of the hub 18 is rabbeted to provide a shoulder for thereception of the inner ring 22. The outer peripheral portions of therings 20 and 23 are also rabbeted to provide the shoulders indicated at25 and 26 in which there is mounted a rim 27 of the pulley. This rim 27is preferably made of a sufliciently transparent material such as mica,for example, to readily permit the projection of rays of lighttherethrough and, moreover, the transparent rim 27 is secured in theshoulders 25 and 26 of the outer ring members in any desired manner.

The apparatus also includes an endless band or belt which may be made ofsuitable ribbon or tape sufliciently light in weight and thin to betranslucent enought for the ready projection of rays of lighttherethrough. This endless band is indicated at 28 and in the inventionas illustrated passes over the rim of the main pulley and also over aseries of idlers located in oppositely disosed positions in the frame orhousing. or example, in one side of the frame I may employ a series ofidlers 29 mounted on stub shafts 30 which are secured in the rear wallof the frame, while on the opposite side there is another series ofidlers 31 each mounted on a stub shaft 32 suitably secured in the rearwall of the frame. The endless band is driven in the direction indicatedby the arrow in Fig. 2 and passes ofi? the idler 31' onto the rim of themain pulley and off the main pulley to the idler 31 whereby, as will beunderstood, the greater portion of the eriphery of the main pulley hasthe endlessband running thereon. One of the idlers, as indicated at 33,may be mounted on a stub shaft 34 which is adjustable to position in aslot 35 in order to correspondingly adjust the position of the idler 34and the tension on the endless band and also to make the same readilyremovable from the idlers so that when necessary-a new band may beeasily placed in the apparatus. Also, as illustrated, one of the stubshafts, as indicated at 36, may be fitted with a pulley 37 for a belt 38which passes around this pulley 37 and also around a pulley 39 mountedon a shaft 40 carrying a worm gear which meshes with a worm on the shaft41 of the motor 42 whereby, as will be understood, the pulley 37 isdriven to suitably move the endless belt causing the main pulley toturn.

Mounted within the main pulley I employ a luralit of lamps. The hub 18of the pu ley is tted with brackets 43, 44 and 45 suitably securedthereto and adapted respectively to carry lamp sockets 46, 47 and 48 inwhich lamps 49, 50 and 51 are placed.

While I have illustrated three such lamps it will be understood that anynumber of the same may be employed and, furthermore, that the lamp bulbsmay be the same or any combination of colors in order to produce adesired lighting effect.

The hub of the main pulley is fitted with a base 52 of a suitableinsulating material and connected to this base'there are concentriccollector rings 53 and 54. A lead 55 extends from the ring 53 to oneterminal of the lamp sockets and a lead 56 from the rin 54 to the otherterminal of the lam) soc rets. Bearing against the rings 53 anil 54 arebrushes 57 and 58. Leads 59 and 60 extend from the brushes 57 and 58 toa suitable plug 60', or otherwise, in order to connect the lamps by wayof a socket to a suitable source of power. As illustrated, in the lead59 there is a switch 51 making it possible by opening the switch to openthe circuit to the lamps. Also, as illustrated, leads 62 and 63 aretrapped into the leads 59 and 60 andextend to the terminals of the motor42 in order to connect the motor to the source of power. In the lead 63there is a switch 64 by which, of course, the power may be shut off fromthe motor without removing the plug 60 from the socket in which it maybe placed.

Suitably connected to the upper end of the frame there are brackets 65,66 and 67. These are employed to support a reflector 68. This reflectormay be made of any suitable material capable of taking a suflicientpolish for reflecting purposes. However, I prefer to make the reflectorof metal with the re fleeting face thereof plated with chromium.

The upper end of the casing is preferably circular, as indicated inFigs. 1 and 2 of the drawing and the reflector is correspondingly shapedand placed at an angle of approximately 45 in order not to distort theimage as reflected therefrom. The outer edge of the reflector terminatesin a flange 69 and the upper edge portion of the front plate 11terminates in an internal flange 70 conforming to the main pulley.

In the form of the invention as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 the motor isplaced in the front of the apparatus. The position in which the motor isplaced, however, is merely a matter of design and, for example, as shownin Fig. 6, the side 71 of the casing may be extended sufliciently farand the idlers so placed as to mount the motor 72 at the side of theapparatus. In this structure a pulley 73 is mounted on the stub shaft 74and a belt 75 passes over the pulley 74 and also over a pulley 76mounted on a shaft carrying a worm gear which meshes with a worm on theshaft of the motor 72 in order, as will be understood, to drive theendless band. Also as illustrated in Figure 6 the tension on the endlessband may be adjusted by a weighted idler 77 mounted on a stub shaft 78carried by a lever 79 pivotally connected to the housing of theapparatus.

In the forms of the invention hereinbefore described the image from theendless band is viewed directly in the reflector and this type ofapparatus lends itself to use particularly in indoor work such, forexample, as window displays, and in other like legible from positions inwhich it might not be seen at all in the other forms of the invention.To this end, as illustrated in Fig. 7, the reflector is mounted in aframe or .housing 81 which is suitably secured to the rear wall of themain frame and conforms to the peripheral portion of the main pulley. Inthe upper portion of the frame 81 a plate 82 is suitably fixed. Thisplate is preferably made of ground glass, or other similar translucentmaterial. At the front portion of the frame 81 there is a flange 83adapted to be engaged by the flanged peripheral upper portion of thefront member 11, as indicated at 84. By this structure, as will bereadily understood, the light from the lamps is projected through theendless band and the image is reflected from the surface of the reflector to the ground glass or other plate 82 wherein it is visible.

It will be understood that the reading or other advertising matterplaced on the endless band is visible either directly from the reflectoror on the groundglass plate and that in the use of the apparatus thisadvertising matter appears to enter at the right of the observer, as inviewing the' apparatus in the positions shown in Figs. '1 and 2,

travels over the surface of the reflector or the ground glass plate anddisappears at the opposite or left hand side of the apparatus, thedirection of the travel of the advertising matter being circular and thespeed at which the same travels being such that the advertising matteris readily readable by any observer.

While it forms no part of my present invention it will be seen, asillustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, that the front member of the frame may befitted with series of brackets 85, 86 and 87 in order to support shelvesindicated at 88, 89 and 90 for the display of merchandise as may bedesirable in any given use of the apparatus.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an advertising apparatus, an endless band having advertisingmatter thereon, and means for rendering the advertising matter visiblein a plane normal to said band and throughout a circular path.

2. In an advertising apparatus, an endless band having advertisingmatter thereon, and

devices formoving the endless band, and

means for rendering the advertising matter visible in a planeperpendicular to said band whcille said band is traveling in a circularpa 3. In an advertising apparatus, an endless band having advertisinmatter thereon, means for moving the endless band, and devices forprogressively rendering the advertising matter visible in a circularpath perpendicular to said band while the latter is moving.

4. In an advertising apparatus, an endless band having advertlsingmatter thereon,

-means for moving a portion of the endless band in a circular path, anddevices for refleeting the advertising matter to render the same'visiblein a plane perpendicular to the axis of said circular path.

5. In an advertising apparatus, an endless band having advertisingmatter thereon, means for illuminating the advertising matter, means formoving the endless band in an arcuate path, and devices associated withthe arcuately traveling portions of said band for reflecting theadvertising matter thereon in a plane perpendicular to said band therebycausing the same to be visible in a circular path.

6. In an advertising apparatus, an endless band having advertisingmatter thereon, means for moving a portion of the endless band in anannular path, means for illuminating the advertising matter on theendless band, and devices for reflecting the advertising matterincluding an annular member positioned for causing the same to bevisible in a plane normal to said band.

7 In an advertising apparatus, an endless cular path, means forilluminating the advertising matter on the endless band, and a circularreflector exposed to the band during its circular travel.

9. In an advertising apparatus, an endless band having advertisingmatter thereon, an annular transparent pulley over which the endlessband passes, means for'moving the endless band causing the same totravel over the pulley, means for illuminating said band from theinterior of said pulley, and means for reflecting the advertising matteron the endless band causing the same to be visible.

10. In an advertising apparatus, an endless band having advertisingmatter thereon, a hollow pulley over which the endless band passes,means for moving the endless band causing the same to travel 'over thepulley, means for illuminating said band from the interior of thepulley, and devices for reflecting the advertising matter on the endlessband causing the same to be visible while traveling in a circular path.

11. In an advertising apparatus, a pulley having a substantiallytransparent rim, an endless band having advertising matter thereon,means for interiorly illuminating the pulley, a reflecting device, andmeans for moving the endless band causing the same to travel over thepulley whereby the advertising matter on the endless band is renderedvisible through the means of the reflecting device.

12. In an advertising apparatus, a pulley having a substantiallytransparent rim, an endless band having advertising matter thereon andpassing over the rim of the pulley, a reflector, means for illuminatingthe interior of the pulley, and means for moving the band causing thesame to travel over the pulley whereby the advertising matter on theendless band is made visible by the said reflector.

13. In an advertising apparatus, a pulley having a substantiallytransparent rim, an endless band passing over the said pulley and havingadvertising matter thereon, lamps for illuminating the pulley interior,a circular reflector conforming to the peripheral portion of the pulley,and means for moving the endless band causing the same to travel overthe pulley whereby the advertising matter on the endless band is madevisible while traveling in a circular path.

14. In an advertising apparatus, 'a pulley having a substantiallytransparent rim, an endless band passing over the rim of the pulley andhaving advertising matter thereon, means for illuminating the pulleyinteriorly, a reflector, a translucent plate associated with thereflector, and means for moving the endless band causing the same totravel over the pulley whereby the light within the whey is projectedthrough the endless ban causing the advertising matter thereon to .bereflected to the said translucent plate.

15. In an advertising apparatus, a pulley having a transparent rim, anendless band passing over the pulley and having advertising matterthereon, lamps for illuminating the pulley interiorly, a circularreflector conforming to the periphery of and associated with the saidpulley, a circular plate of translucent material associated with thereflector, and means for moving the said endless band causing the sameto travel over the pulley whereby the light from the lamps is proiectedthrough the endless band and the advertising matter thereon is projectedfrom the said reflector to the said translucent plate rendering theadvertising matter visible While moving in a circular path.

16. In an advertising apparatus, a cylindrical rotating member, a bandcontacting said member and adapted to travel thereover, and an arcuatereflector associated with said member at the region Where said band andmember contact whereby the advertising matter thereon is renderedvisible in an arcuate path.

17. In an advertising apparatus, a cylindrical rotating member, a bandcontacting said member and adapted to travel thereover, and a reflector,the surface of which is partially frusto-conical, associated with saidmember at the region Where said band and member contact whereby theadvertising matter thereon is rendered visible in an arcuate path.

S1gned by me this 12th day of August, 1929.

FRANK S. SUMMER.

